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The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has responded to calls to exclude the United States and its athletes from the upcoming Winter Olympics, following the country’s recent military intervention in Venezuela.
The commission ruled out any sanctions against the United States following the intervention.
“As a global organization, the IOC must manage a complex reality. The IOC must face the current political context and the latest developments in the world,” the IOC said in a statement to the BBC.
“The ability to bring athletes together, no matter where they come from, is fundamental to the future of a truly global, values-based sport that can give hope to the world.
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Russia hosted the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, the most expensive Olympics ever. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana, file)
“For this reason, the IOC cannot get directly involved in political issues or conflicts between countries, because these do not fall within our competence. This is the domain of politics.”
Russian athletes have been banned from competing in the Olympics since the country invaded Ukraine in 2022. Russia invaded Ukraine just four days after the closing ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics in February of that year, in violation of the Olympic truce clause in the IOC charter. Russia also placed Ukrainian athletes there under the control of the Russian Olympic Committee.
The US strike on Venezuela did not violate any of these charters and was praised by many in the international community due to the capture of dictator Nicolas Maduro and the overthrow of his regime.
This effort came after months of pressure on Venezuela like Trump The administration has carried out more than 20 strikes in Latin American waters targeting suspected drug traffickers as part of Trump’s broader initiative to curb the flow of drugs into the United States.
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The IOC faced similar calls to exclude Israel from the Olympics over the war in Gaza, but those demands were also rejected as the committee said the country’s national Olympic committee had complied with the Olympic Charter.
However, Indonesia faces sanction for violating the Olympic Charter, although this does not result in the exclusion of the country’s athletes from the competition.
The IOC previously condemned the country for denying visas to Israeli athletes and said it was a violation of the international charter. All talk of Indonesia hosting a future Olympics has ended and the IOC has informed world organizers. do not schedule major events in the country.
The Indonesian government cited security concerns for its decision to deny visas to the Israeli team, warning of potential threats in its country to the safety of Israeli athletes and others.
However, the Israel team claimed victory for their own country security services have determined the country was safe to enter and allowed his athletes to go there.
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“We received permission from Israeli security authorities to participate in the World Championship subject to the necessary security protocols in place. From our side, all preparations were completed: registration process, entry visas to Indonesia and confirmation from Israeli security authorities,” the Israel Gymnastics Federation previously told PK Press Club Digital.
Indonesia had already been stripped of its right to host the Under-20 World Cup when the governor of Bali refused to host the Israeli team in a match.
